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Family says bullying pushed Iowa boy to suicide

April 18th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

PRIMGHAR, Iowa (AP) – The death of a 14-year-old northwest Iowa student has prompted discussion by relatives, school officials and others about the bullying that is being blamed for his suicide. The family of Kenneth Weishuhn, of Primgahr, says he was harassed at school after he told people that he was gay. His mother, Jeannie Chambers, told the Sioux City Journal that he asked her not to talk to administrators. Administrators and Chambers say they didn’t know about the barrage of hate that had been directed at Kenneth, who killed himself on Sunday.

There were threatening cellphone calls and voicemails and messages posted online. His 16-year-old sister, Kayla Weishuhn, says one student called her brother and left him death threats, saying that he didn’t deserve to live.